


strangers when we meet

by saidsoftly



Series: walk walk passion baby [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Date, Love at First Sight, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mild Angst, Waffles, past abusive relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 06:08:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2180844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saidsoftly/pseuds/saidsoftly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't the first time he'd seen Sebastian Stan, but it was the first time he'd seen him in person, and he knew his eyes must be playing tricks on him, because there was no way a human being could be that beautiful.</p><p>[Part of an AU proposed by <a href="http://sammy-souffle.tumblr.com/">sammy-souffle</a> where Chris is still a famous actor but Sebastian is a model.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	strangers when we meet

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the David Bowie song.

_Yeah...this is so not my scene._

Chris looked around at all the impossibly tall, impossibly svelte, glamorous people around him and the decidedly less statuesque but somehow even more conceited people that fawned all over them and couldn't feel more out of place. He was woefully underdressed, for one thing, red plaid and jeans in a sea of sleek suits and little black dresses, but that wasn't what made him stick out like a sore thumb. He just felt like he didn't belong. He was a successful actor and had plenty of experience hobnobbing with the rich and famous, sure - one could even argue that he _was_ the rich and famous, but he never really thought of himself that way; he was just a kid from Boston who got lucky - but this was a whole other level of insufferable and pompous.

Tucking himself into a dimly lit corner, Chris grimaced and wondered where Jolene was. He was only here because of her, his friend and sometimes stylist. This party was in celebration of her first official foray into the world of fashion design, the mini-collection she'd debuted earlier that night at one of L.A. Fashion Week's smaller venues. He really was stoked for her and was more than happy to show his support, but he had a feeling the night would end up like this, him itching to escape a room full of dead-eyed waifs.

Chris finally spotted her and sprang forward from the wall he was leaning on, making a beeline toward her to say a polite goodnight and duck out early. "There you are!" she exclaimed before he even had a chance to open his mouth, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

 _Oh great,_ Chris thought, narrowing his eyes at her. "Why?"

"There's somebody I want you to meet," she said, linking arms with him and steering him back the way he came.

"Seriously, Jolene?" he protested, literally dragging his feet. "I'm really not in the mood for another one of your matchmaking attempts."

"Oh, quit whining," she snapped. "You know how many of my guy friends _beg_ me to set them up with a model? You should be thanking me."

"Thanking you? For what? Forcing me to make polite conversation with a beautiful but empty shell for an hour or two?"

"God, you're such a snob. You didn't even give those girls a chance."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to have a meaningful relationship with someone I can actually see having a future with."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Chris. You're barely thirty. Besides," she said, pulling him toward the bar, "I'm trying a different tactic this time."

"What are you talking about?" he replied, eyeing her suspiciously. Jolene came to a stop so suddenly that Chris almost fell on top of the person she was introducing him to.

"Chris, Sebastian Stan. Sebastian, Chris Evans," Jolene chirped, gesturing between them.

In what was surely his smoothest move ever, Chris stared at the other man dumbfounded. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Sebastian Stan, but it was the first time he'd seen him in person, and he knew his eyes must be playing tricks on him, because there was no way a human being could be that beautiful. Chris wondered if it was too late to fall on top of him.

"Uh...hi," he uttered brilliantly. He wanted to kick himself or die of embarrassment or both, but Sebastian just smiled brightly, his blue-grey eyes sparkling with amusement as he offered his hand.

"Hi, Chris. Nice to meet you," he said, his voice smooth and lush and tinged with an accent that Chris couldn't quite place. He gave no indication of being put off by Chris' awkwardness, but it's possible that he was just so used to being gawked at that it no longer fazed him.

"Yeah, you too," Chris all but stammered in reply and hoped his brain would start functioning again soon. This was some form of karma, he was sure. He shouldn't have been looking down his nose at all those models because now he was pretty sure Sebastian was thinking, _God, get me away from this idiot actor who can't string more than a few words together._

"Well, I'll leave you to it," Jolene said, looking beyond smug. "Goodnight, boys." She smirked at Chris over Sebastian's shoulder, mouthing YOU'RE WELCOME before disappearing through the crowd. Chris frowned, not sure if she deserved a thank you or not for setting him up to look like a moron.

_Oh, don't even front, Evans. You did that all by yourself._

"So, having fun?" Sebastian asked, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Not really," Chris admitted. "This isn't really my scene. And I don't know anyone here, apart from Jolene."

"Yeah, me too. I mean...I guess this is kinda my scene, it should be at least, and I do know people here, just not anyone I particularly want to spend time with."

"So you're just as miserable as I am?"

Sebastian laughed. "I don't know, how miserable are you?"

"Not as miserable as I was five minutes ago," Chris replied, smiling when Sebastian blushed and ducked his head. "Hey, you wanna grab a drink?" he asked, nodding his head toward the bar.

"Yes," Sebastian answered emphatically. "I would _love_ a drink."

Chris lightly placed a hand on Sebastian's elbow, letting him the lead the way and watched in awe as Sebastian maneuvered through the crowd with a graceful slink. He swallowed thickly, wondering in what other ways he might be impressed by the way Sebastian used his body. If he didn't need a drink before, he definitely did now. "Could I get a beer?" he asked when the bartender came over. "Whatever's on tap."

"Amaretto sour, please," Sebastian requested with a warm smile, adding a polite, "Thank you." Chris gave silent props to the bartender for not melting on the spot.

"So this must be a busy week for you, huh?" Chris remarked, leaning against the bar and fixing his gaze on Sebastian.

"Yeah," Sebastian said, raising his eyebrows and nodding as he let out a long breath. "I got a decent amount of bookings this year. I'm pretty exhausted, but I can't complain about steady work, right?" He pulled his hands out of his pockets and folded them delicately on the bar. "What about you? Jolene said you just came back from some crazy press tour?"

"She talked about me to you?" Chris winced, tearing his gaze away from Sebastian's long, elegant fingers. "Oh god, what else did she say?"

Sebastian laughed, his whole face lighting up and making Chris' chest tighten. "Nothing bad, I promise."

"I hope not," Chris said taking a long swig of his beer when the bartender set it down in front of him. "But yeah. I just went around the world promoting The Avengers. Like it needs promoting," he snorted. "Answering the same questions over and over again isn't a blast, but like you said...can't complain."

"You get to travel, though. That's my favorite part of the job." Chris tried his absolute best to not stare at Sebastian's lips as they wrapped around the rim of his glass.

"Oh yeah, I love traveling. We don't get to spend too much time in one place, though. I am, however, becoming quite the connoisseur of international airports." He flashed Sebastian a cheesy grin and raised his glass.

"So what's your favorite place that you've visited?"

"Hmm...gotta be the Barcelona airport. They have these empanadas there that are just out of this world."

Sebastian laughed. "I mean, beyond the airports."

"Oh right," Chris grinned. "Japan was pretty cool. I went hiking a few times while I was there. The scenery is breathtaking."

"I've always wanted to go there," Sebastian nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "Where haven't you been that you'd like to go?" he asked, tongue swiping out to catch a drop of his drink before it fell from his bottom lip.

 _Your bed,_ Chris thought, watching his tongue intently. "It's kinda weird, but Antarctica. I really love cold weather. And I wanna find those dancing penguins, they're just so adorable."

Sebastian dropped his face into his hand, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. He looked back up at Chris, his eyes all crinkled and sparkly, and the sight sent warm fuzzies spreading through Chris' belly. "They are pretty adorable," he admitted.

_So are you._

"So what about you?" Chris asked, leaning forward like he was making sure he could hear Sebastian's answer over the dull roar of the crowd but really he just wanted to get all up in the other man's space.

"Um...I really love Italy. Rome especially," Sebastian said, staring off into space and tugging on his hair as he thought. "But anywhere in Europe, really. I just love the feeling. Being surrounded by all that history, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm going there next month, actually. Scouting locations for a project I want to direct. I doubt we'll be able to afford shooting there, but I'll probably be able to draw some inspiration regardless."

"Cool," Sebastian murmured, his eyes softening and going to some faraway place. They were close enough now that Chris wouldn't have to lean in very far to kiss him, maybe slide a hand up to cradle the back of his neck, tilt his own head to the side and press his lips against Sebastian's, and he was sure they'd fit together perfectly, like they were just made for each other... Chris pulled himself out of his reverie when realized Sebastian was now frowning down at the bar top.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked softly, laying a hand on the other man's shoulder.

Sebastian looked back up at him with flushed cheeks, smiling bashfully. "Yeah, sorry, I was just..." He shook his head and finished off his drink. "Sorry. I think I'm just tired."

"You wanna get out of here?" Chris offered before he could stop himself. Sebastian didn't say anything, just looked up at him with wide eyes. "Or...maybe, I don't know...tomorrow night? This weekend? I'd really love to take you out sometime." _Oh fuck, did I really just do that? God, I hope that didn't sound as desperate as I think it did._

"I, uh..." Sebastian stammered, suddenly very interested in the ring that he was now twisting around and around his thumb. "I'm sorry. You're really sweet and everything, but I...I just got out of a bad relationship, and I'm not really looking for... I just don't think I'm ready yet." He looked up at Chris with a pitifully apologetic look on his face, almost like he was expecting Chris to throw a punch.

"Hey, no, that's..." Chris shook his head, putting a little bit of space between them in case Sebastian needed that to feel more comfortable. "I get it. That's totally fine." He meant what he said, even if it didn't feel fine, even if his heart had just dropped into his stomach. "And you don't have to apologize. I should, I mean...I guess that was pretty forward."

"No, it was...nice." Sebastian blushed, and whatever just fell into Chris' stomach was fluttering back up now, flapping its little wings against his rib cage. "Like I said, you seem sweet, and you're really funny, and _very_ attractive..." Sebastian turned an even deeper shade of red. "If circumstances were different, I would jump at the chance to go out with you, but I...I think I just need to be alone...for a little while. Work some stuff out."

Chris nodded hard. "I understand. I've been there."

Sebastian looked at his watch. "Shit, it's late. I need to go. I promise I'm not trying to, like, escape. I have an early shoot tomorrow."

"And you need your beauty sleep."

Sebastian's grin returned, and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do. I'm such a cliche, I know."

Chris laughed. "No, I should go too. I have a meeting. Or meetings. I don't really know."

"But I'm sure you have people who keep track of those sorts of things for you."

Chris let out a dramatic sigh. "Yes, I'm a very important person, and I have an army of lackeys at my beck and call."

"Who's the cliche now?" Sebastian winked, and they both laughed. "Well, good luck with your movie," he continued, straightening himself and getting ready to leave. "Let me know if you need someone to stand in the background and look pretty."

"Oh, you'll definitely be the first person I call," Chris promised.

Sebastian smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Chris."

"You too, Sebastian." He watched as the other man took a step back but hesitated, like he was reconsidering, and a flicker of hope dance across Chris' face and pulled his lips up into a smile, but it faded as soon as Sebastian turned around and made his way out of the club. Chris sighed, shaking his empty glass at the bartender for a refill and immediately started trying to come up with excuses as to why he was so affected by a man he just met.

***

A couple months went by, and Chris stayed busy enough doing research and pre-production work on what would hopefully be his next film that he didn't think about Sebastian all that much. Except for when he was alone, at night, in his bed. All the stressful details of the day fade away, and all he can think about is the sweet man with the stunning smile that walked into his life for about fifteen minutes then walked right back out of it.

Some nights he would push his boxers down around his thighs and crank one out to the thought of him, trying to picture every last detail. Those long fingers, wrapping around his cock. That tongue and those pink lips, again, wrapped around his cock. Chris longed to be on top of him, inside of him, curious to see if his whole body would flush red like his cheeks.

But mostly, Chris just wanted to see him again, wanted to listen to his silky voice and hear his adorable laugh. He wanted to know everything about him. He wanted Sebastian to tell him those things that lovers only whisper to each other in the afterglow, those secret, intimate things that no one else in the world is privy to.

 _Fuuuck._ Chris sighed and pushed his laptop away so he could fold his arms and drop his head on top of them. He had it bad, so bad, and he knew it. He just wished he knew what to do _about_ it. He'd considered asking Jolene if she had Sebastian's phone number, but ultimately he decided against trying to contact him. Sebastian said he needed time alone, and Chris respected that. So he was alone as well, in his house in Los Angeles, with only all these feelings that he didn't know what to do with to keep him company.

"You look like you need a night out."

Oh, right. He wasn't alone. Chris pulled his head up and gave his brother a weary look. "I'm sorry my life is too boring for you, Scott. You're more than welcome to go out by yourself."

"Chris, honestly," his brother replied, turning around and talking to him over the back of the couch, "It's for you, not me. You look fucking miserable."

"And hitting the town with my baby brother is going to perk me up?"

"Rude. And yes, it will." Scott sighed and walked over to him. "Come on, Chris. Let's go out and get blitzed so you can forget whatever or whoever has you borderline suicidal."

Chris made a face. "Don't joke about that."

"Well, I'm sorry. You're usually a human golden retriever, so it's very jarring to see you this upset."

"Scott, every time we go out together you end up ditching me for some old guy. I really don't see how picking you up from some stranger's apartment in the morning is going to make me feel better."

"Please don't call them old guys. It makes me sound like I cruise retirement communities. I like _older men_. They're sophisticated and worldly."

"They're old."

"Whatever. And that doesn't happen _every_ time," Scott insisted, and Chris gave him a look. "Okay, fine. I won't do that this time. It'll just be me and you, I promise."

Chris sighed. "If I say no, are you going to hound me all night?"

"Absolutely."

"Fine," he relented, struggling to not crack a smile at Scott's happy dance. "I did get invited to some charity dinner-"

"Great, let's go! Come on."

"Scott, it's not 'til eight. That's like three hours from now," he said, moving to reopen his laptop.

"And that's how long it takes me to put together an outfit," Scott replied, grabbing his brother's arm and dragging him to the bedroom.

*** 

The dinner itself was actually quite nice. Chris met some interesting people and had lovely conversations with everyone at his table. The after party, however... Well, it took about two minutes before Scott broke his promise. One second he was wondering aloud if there was an open bar, and the next he was chasing after some generous donor with salt and pepper hair. I'M SORRY, he mouthed before spinning back around and sidling up next to the guy, and Chris just rolled his eyes. He considered heading home but didn't relish the idea of being alone with his thoughts, so he stayed. And if there was an open bar, he might as well take advantage of it.

He didn't quite make it to the bar, however, having been spotted by a producer he'd worked with a couple times. He went over to say a quick hello, and she was just starting to tell him about her latest film when Chris saw him. It was very brief, only a glimpse; if he had looked in that direction a second later, he would have missed him. But there he was, smiling and waving at someone before disappearing onto the balcony.

"Excuse me," Chris breathed, the pounding in his ears drowning out the sounds of the party as he made his way over to the glass doors that led outside. His knees were weak, and he steadied himself against the door, staring through the glass at the outline of Sebastian's body silhouetted by the lights of the city panorama below. Chris took a deep breath and stepped outside, moving quietly to join Sebastian at the railing.

"I'm not stalking you, I swear," Chris said as the other man turned to look at him.

Sebastian smiled. "That sounds like something a stalker would say."

He grinned, trying not to be thrown off balance by that smile he already loved. "Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," Sebastian replied, gazing happily into Chris' eyes for a moment before tucking the cigarette he was holding between his lips and lighting it. He apparently mistook the way Chris stared for disdain and made an apologetic face. "Disgusting habit, I know. But it curbs my appetite."

Chris frowned. "You don't eat?"

"No, I... Fuck, that sounded bad." Sebastian laughed nervously. "I do eat. Lean proteins. Vegetables. Smoothies. But this helps curb my appetite for things I shouldn't be eating."

"Like what?"

Sebastian's eyes glazed over. "Strawberry rhubarb pie."

"That's very...specific," Chris chuckled.

"Yeah, I know," Sebastian replied with a laugh. "It's something my mom used to make. We didn't have access to a lot of fresh fruit back home, so when we first moved here, she went crazy with the strawberries. Made a different kind of pie almost every week. Strawberry rhubarb was my favorite."

"Back home?"

"Romania. Moved to the states when I was twelve."

"Oh, so that's where you get your exotic looks from," Chris winked.

"You mean the dark circles under my eyes?" Sebastian huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, that's my wonderful Romanian heritage working for me."

"So how long's it been since you've had it? The pie."

Sebastian hesitated, something dark flashing past his eyes. "Too long." Chris watched him take a long drag off his cigarette, detecting the slightest of trembles in his hand. There was a story there, a mystery that Chris wanted to solve, but he didn't want to push. "So how's your movie coming along?" Sebastian asked, seemingly wanting to change the subject.

"Slowly," Chris sighed. "I'm not actually sure if it'll get made."

"That sucks," Sebastian frowned.

"Yeah. But I'm not giving up."

"Good," Sebastian nodded, exhaling a plume of smoke and dispersing it with a wave of his hand before it got to Chris. "Don't."

Chris smiled. "I won't." He toed the ground nervously, hoping what he was about to say didn't cut their conversation short. "Speaking of not giving up...I, uh..." Sebastian waited patiently while Chris cleared his throat. "I know you said you needed some time, and uh..."

"And you're wondering if two months was enough time?"

"Well, I wasn't going to put it like that, but...was it?" he asked hopefully.

Sebastian laughed softly, putting out his cigarette and reaching a hand up to tug nervously at his hair. "Honestly...I don't know." He was quiet for a moment, and Chris didn't know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut. "Sorry," Sebastian muttered, letting out another breathy, nervous laugh. "My life's kind of a mess right now. My ex really did a number on me."

Chris didn't know who this asshole was, but he already wanted to punch him. "I don't mind messy," he said quietly. "Honestly, if your life was perfect and sterile, that would be pretty weird."

Sebastian flashed him a crooked half-smile. "I don't know. Sterile sounds kind of good right now."

Chris nodded. "Well...we don't have to jump into anything. We could just, I don't know...hang out? Get to know each other?"

Sebastian nodded slowly. "I think...that would be okay."

"Tell you what, how 'bout I give you my phone number, and...if you never want to see me again, that's fine, but...if you do, then you can call me sometime?" Chris gazed at him hopefully, trying not to look like the puppy dog Scott loved comparing him to, but probably failing.

Biting his lip apprehensively for a moment, Sebastian finally nodded. "Sure. Okay."

"Yeah?" Chris asked, his face brightening.

"Yeah." Sebastian smiled and pulled out his phone, opening up the contacts page and handing his phone to Chris, who bounced a little on the balls of his feet as he put his number into Sebastian's phone.

"There you go," he said brightly, handing it back to Sebastian before he felt his own phone vibrate in his pocket. "Is that you?" he asked, confused, but Sebastian shook his head. Chris pulled out his phone and read the message.

_turns out he's married. DAMNIT. i'm ready 2 go now, where r u?_

"Fuck," Chris muttered, typing a message back angrily.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian asked, his voice soft and curious.

"Oh, nothing. Just my idiot brother." Chris slid the phone back into his pocket and smiled warmly at Sebastian. "I have to go."

"Oh. Okay," Sebastian said, the disappointed tone of his voice making Chris want to strangle his brother.

"Sorry. But call me. Or text me. If you want, of course. Your choice!" he said awkwardly as he headed toward the door.

Sebastian flashed him an amused grin. "Goodnight, Chris."

"Goodnight, Sebastian." He walked back through the party and out the front entrance where he promised to meet Scott, Sebastian's soft, honeyed voice echoing in his head. _Goodnight, Chris._ Yeah, he could definitely get used to hearing that every night for the rest of his life.

***

Three days later, Chris' phone buzzed next to his head around 7 AM, and he swatted it away angrily. He was kicking himself when he woke up a few hours later and looked at his phone.

 _Are you still in L.A.? If you are, do you wanna grab a coffee sometime?_ read the first text message. And then, a minute later:  
 _This is Sebastian, btw_

Chris smiled harder than he ever had before and immediately texted him back. _I am. I see your coffee and raise you a proper breakfast. Can you cheat on your diet? I know a great waffle place._

***

The next morning, Chris was standing outside Bru's Wiffle waiting for Sebastian, attempting to go incognito in a baseball cap and hoodie. He got there a little early but didn't have to wait very long until he saw Sebastian approaching, and he wasn't at all surprised that the other man looked just as stunning in a t-shirt and jeans as he did in an expensive suit. In fact, he might have even looked better. _God bless whoever made those jeans,_ Chris thought as he smiled and waved at Sebastian.

"If you're trying to fly under the radar, you might not want to wear a Boston Red Sox hat in Los Angeles," Sebastian teased as he joined him at the restaurant's entrance.

"Is this how it's gonna be?" Chris jokingly protested, putting his hands on his hips. "You always criticizing my fashion choices?"

"That's what you get for dating a model," Sebastian smirked, taking off his sunglasses and tucking them into his shirt collar.

"Oh, are we dating now?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know yet. Ask me again after breakfast," Sebastian replied, his eyes twinkling a little brighter as he opened the door to the restaurant. "Now come on, I'm starving."

Chris followed him inside with a big, stupid grin on his face and pulled off his cap when they slid into his favorite booth. Sebastian grabbed it out of his hand, popping it onto his own head and tugging it down so low Chris could barely see his eyes. "How do I look?" he asked

"Perfect," Chris responded immediately, his heart fluttering at the sweet, shy smile he got in return. "I can't see your beautiful eyes, though." He reached over, tilting the hat up so he could see Sebastian's face. "There we go."

Sebastian blushed and looked down at the menu. "So, what do you recommend?"

"Um, everything," Chris said, making the other man laugh.

"Well, I don't know if I'm _that_ hungry," he joked. "Do they have one with bananas?"

"Yeah, I think they have a banana pecan waffle," Chris replied, finding it on his own menu and then pointing it out to Sebastian.

"Ooh, that looks good. I'll have that." The waitress came by and took their orders, and Sebastian pulled off Chris' hat and handed it back to him, running his fingers through his hair to smooth it back out. "I'm glad we ran into each other at the party," he said, looking down at his lap shyly. "I had been thinking about you a lot."

Chris was pretty sure his heart was about to leap out of his chest, but he played it cool. "Really?" he said in a joking tone, "'Cuz I didn't think about you at all. I certainly didn't look you up on the internet or think about asking Jolene for your number or anything."

Sebastian shook his head. "I knew you were stalking me."

Chris laughed. "Guilty as charged." He watched fondly as Sebastian giggled and played with his napkin. "I'm glad we did too. And I'm glad you agreed to meet me. I really like you." He reached across the table slowly, letting his fingers dance over Sebastian's before fitting their hands together and smiling warmly at him.

Sebastian stared down at their entwined hands, his smile fading into a worried frown and his brow furrowing anxiously. He extracted his hand from Chris' and brought it back down into his lap. "Sorry," he said quietly, not even looking up to see the sting of rejection written across the other man's face.

"Hey," Chris said, ducking his head to try to meet Sebastian's gaze. "It's okay. I shouldn't have done that."

Sebastian shook his head vigorously, stormy blue eyes shining with pain. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who's fucked up. What kind of person can't even hold hands on a first date?"

"Someone who's been hurt before," Chris said softly. He really wanted to know what Sebastian's ex looked like so he could accurately picture what his fists were demolishing in his mind.

Sebastian tilted his head back up, looking at Chris like...God, he looked _confused_ , like he wasn't used to somebody being nice to him. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still a mess."

"Hey, you don't have to apologize to me," Chris told him. "Whatever you want to do, whatever you need...just tell me."

Sebastian took a deep breath, wiping at his eyes. "I really like you too, and I want to be with you. I think there's something special between us, but I just...I want to make sure it's real before we..." Sebastian swallowed hard, looking back down at the table. "Before we get physical. I've gone too far too fast before, and it's clouded my judgment." He forced himself to meet Chris' gaze. "Would you mind if we took things slow?"

Chris nodded slowly, processing Sebastian's words. "Are you asking me to wait?"

Sebastian nods, not being able to help but make an apologetic face. "I know it's a lot to ask, but would you?"

Chris let out a slow breath. "Well, I know I'm probably going to immediately regret the words that are about to come out of my mouth because it's really sappy and we barely know each other, but..." He looked directly into Sebastian's eyes to let him know he meant it. "I would wait forever for you."

Sebastian's mouth dropped open, but he snapped it closed when the waitress came over to set their plates in front of them and waited until she was gone to reply. "Do you really mean that?" he asked in a small, shaky voice.

"Absolutely I do," Chris responded without hesitation.

Sebastian blinked rapidly, trying to fend off the tears that pricked at his eyes. "Oh my god, you're gonna make me cry into my waffles."

Chris let out a breathy, sort of relieved laugh. "Please don't. At least taste them first."

Sebastian grinned, picking up his fork. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?"

Sebastian raised his eyebrows as he cut into his waffle. "For being a decent human being," he said, flashing Chris a sweet smile. "And for breakfast."

"For breakfast? I thought you were paying," Chris teased.

"Nope," Sebastian replied, not missing a beat. "I didn't even bring my wallet. Couldn't fit it into these jeans."

"Well, shit, neither did I. I guess we're gonna have to dine and dash then. I hope you're wearing comfortable shoes."

"You're silly," Sebastian said through a mouthful of waffle, his eyes sparkling happily again.

Chris smiled back and vowed right then and there to make it his mission to never give Sebastian a reason to frown again, to make him so deliriously happy that he forgets all about whatever bullshit brought him down in the past. He didn't know how long it would take for Sebastian to trust him, to really let him in, but he knew one thing: This was the best breakfast he'd ever had.

And it had nothing to do with the waffles.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank sammy-souffle for coming up with this AU which I became immediately obsessed with. This series isn't going to be a linear story, just random bits of this world and not necessarily in any chronological order. In fact, I was just going to start with some random porn, but then the idea of how they met and pieces of dialogue just started flowing out of me, so I was like, "Well, I guess I'm writing this first." Hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> (Random porn, fluff, and hurt/comfort to come.)


End file.
